PWN is recognizing our very own Colorado Chapter as May 2022 Organizing Spotlight. The CO Chapter is committed to Get Out the Vote, and educate their neighbors about what’s on their ballot. In partnership with the Colorado Organizations Responding to AIDS (CORA), they had an incredibly busy and fruitful legislative session, providing testimony, hosting rallies, and doing legislative visits, and even helping to redraft language on a bill. They celebrated victories on eight bills: ensuring the inclusion of people living with HIV in the modernization of the Older Coloradans’ Act, the provision of healthcare access for undocumented women and children, and the addition of a month of PEP medication to survivors of sexual assault.
One of the most notorious victories was the passing of HB22-1279, the Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA), that ensured abortion access with no restrictions for the state, which is a reproductive rights island in its region. They’ve also done tremendous work to stop HB22-1326, of the “fentanyl accountability” bill, which introduced harsher punishments for possession of smaller amounts of fentanyl.
Rica Rodriguez, Co-Chair of the PWN Colorado Chapter and PWN member since 2012 let us know all about what the Colorado chapter is doing and their plan for its future! Rica, a mother of two HIV-negative children, is a long-term HIV survivor since 1989. Rica began to advocate for healthcare, housing justice, and overall quality of life in 2006, following several years of incarceration that inspired her to be the voice for HIV+ people who are reentering society. Rica is currently a Peer Navigator at the Municipal Public Defender’s Office in Denver, and part-time Care Specialist and Peer Recovery Coach. Read the full interview with Rica Rodriguez below, it has been edited for clarity.
Currently, what is the Colorado chapter doing that you want to uplift?
We have been working on a bill that is aiming to criminalize people who were found in possession of fentanyl. PWN Colorado chapter members recently went to a rally and handed out flyers for PWN Colorado Chapter’s paid phone banker and canvasser applications. We were able to hand these flyers to local community members, community organizations, including Action Center, and reentry locations here in Denver. Our hope was to get people on board and help the PWN Colorado chapter kick ass and do some voter engagement.
For someone who may not understand the significance of a Fentanyl bill in Colorado, is it appropriate to assume it mirrors the criminalization of marijuana in many states?
Yes, definitely! This bill is America going back to the Bush administration and the war on drugs. We know policing a public health crisis is not the way that we combat the addiction or the epidemic. It’s also important to mention we recently testified in favor of House Bill 1309 ensuring PEP is provided to victims of rape and sexual assault.
So, is the PWN Colorado Chapter gearing up for the upcoming election?
Really, we’re going to wait until we find out what issues are on the ballot, and then we mobilize and inform.
What can members, or people who just want to get involved that are not in Colorado, do to support the chapter?
To support? There are opportunities to volunteer as a phone banker. Historically, we have had sisters that live in Washington or Pennsylvania, that are making calls with us and talking to people who are here local about elections and what is on their ballot. The really great thing about PWN is that there is training before each and every phone-banking shift.. And so, people have a script and answers if people ask them questions, and it’s right in front of them. They’ve also got somebody who is on board, ready to go in case they don’t know the answers or need help with a voter’s question. There’s always somebody that is a support person available for those who need help and have questions.
Are there any other meaningful ways that people outside of Colorado can get involved?
People outside of Colorado can share on social media, I think change happens when people are aware of what’s changing in other states. In Texas, they’ve passed restrictive abortion laws. Sharing what is going on there, has allowed individuals and organizations outside of Texas to mobilize in support and provide assistance to people in Texas seeking an abortion. I personally opened my home as a safe space to any woman who was leaving Texas to get an abortion and this was made possible through networking and the legwork of other advocates.
Is there anything else that you want to uplift or share about the Colorado Chapter?
Follow our Twitter and join our Facebook group to stay up to date about what’s happening with the PWN Colorado Chapter. A few years ago we celebrated a big win for reproductive justice with comprehensive sex education for schools here in Denver. We hope to celebrate more wins like that in Colorado!
